我們日常生活中的建築用磚一般有紅磚、青磚以及混凝土磚，但你聽說過「月壤磚」嗎？
所謂「月壤磚」，是中國科學家模擬月壤成分燒制而成的，擬用於未來建造月球基地。再過一段時間，這種「月壤磚」就將搭乘「天舟八號」貨運飛船飛向中國空間站，到太空去做暴露實驗。
Bricks made from simulated lunar soil, a potential building material for future habitats on the moon, will be sent to China's space station aboard the Tianzhou 8 cargo spacecraft for exposure experiments.
「月壤磚」跟普通磚有何不同？
據國家數位建造技術創新中心、華中科技大學教授周誠介紹， 「月壤磚」呈榫卯結構 ，密度與普通磚塊相當， 抗壓力度卻是普通紅磚、混凝土磚的三倍以上，相當於每平方厘米能承受1噸多重量 。
The bricks made from simulated lunar soil have a density comparable to that of ordinary bricks, but their compressive strength exceeds that of standard red bricks and concrete bricks by more than three times, with one square centimeter able to support over one ton of weight, said Zhou Cheng, a professor from National Center of Technology Innovation for Digital Construction.
未來月球基地的建造中，可能采用這樣的結構形式進行拼裝建造。
「月壤磚」需要經受住怎樣的考驗，才能肩負起月球蓋房子的重任？
月面月晝溫度超過180℃，月夜又到-190℃，想要蓋房子，首先要接受溫度劇烈變化的挑戰。
Building a house on the lunar surface could face challenges due to drastic temperature changes on the moon, with temperatures exceeding 180 C during lunar days and reaching -190 C at lunar night.
因為沒有大氣保護，大量宇宙放射線和許多微隕石會撞擊月球表面。
Without atmospheric protection, significant levels of cosmic radiation and many micrometeorites would also hit the surface of the moon.
同時還有震動頻率高的月震。
And there is frequent moonquake activity.
這些都會對月面建築材料的力學效能、熱學效能和抗放射線效能提出苛刻要求。
All of these will place demanding requirements on the mechanical, thermal and radiation resistance properties of lunar surface construction materials.
「月壤磚」為何要去中國空間站？
為了驗證「月壤磚」的效能，近日，「月壤磚」樣品要搭乘「天舟八號」貨運飛船前往中國空間站。在完成太空實驗後，第一塊「月壤磚」預計將於2025年年底返回地球。
The lunar bricks will be sent to China's space station aboard the Tianzhou 8 cargo spacecraft to verify their mechanical and thermal performance, as well as their ability to withstand cosmic radiation. The first lunar brick is expected to return to Earth by the end of 2025.
專家告訴記者，「月壤磚」的太空之旅有三大關鍵效能要驗證，包括：
「月壤磚」的力學效能。太空環境下，樣品的力學效能會不會退化十分關鍵。
「月壤磚」的熱學效能的變化。
放射線作用對「月壤磚」的影響。因為月球是真空環境，存在大量宇宙放射線，所以「月壤磚」能否經受住宇宙放射線作用，也非常值得驗證。
Zhou outlined three key properties of the bricks that will be verified, including the potential degradation of their mechanical properties, their heat preservation and insulation effectiveness, and their ability to withstand cosmic radiation on the moon.
「月壤磚」是如何煉成的？
月球表面復雜的環境對「月壤磚」的效能提出了極高的要求，「月壤磚」是怎麽煉成的呢？周誠介紹，「月壤磚」采用真空熱壓燒結的方式成型，整個過程大概分為三個步驟。
The whole process of making such bricks by vacuum hot pressing and sintering is divided into three steps, Zhou explained.
第一步，先把模擬月壤進行稱重，按照重量放入模具，因月壤非常松散，所以需要在模具容器裏進行壓制。
Researchers need to weigh the simulated lunar soil and then place it in the mould according to its weight. They have to press it into the mould container as the lunar soil is very loose.
壓力施加完畢後，工程師會把壓制成型的、帶有模擬月壤的模具放到真空熱壓爐中，加上隔熱設施，將它升溫燒結。
The researcher will then put it into the vacuum hot-pressing furnace. After locking the whole vacuum experimental device, it can be heated up and sintered.
第三步，對「月壤磚」進行高溫燒制。
The lunar soil material that the researchers modeled in the lab is similar to the Earth's soil, which is dispersed. To process it, researchers must subject it to high temperatures.
「月壤磚」是以100%原位成型的工藝方法制造的，整個過程中沒有任何其他材料添加物。這也是在未來月球基地建造中的一個非常有潛力的建造方式。
Zhou noted that the process does not involve any additional material additives, making it a highly promising construction method for future lunar base development.
在月球上就地取材
在介紹「月壤磚」制作流程時，科研人員提到一個詞——
原位成型工藝方法
。
也就是說，將來建設月球科研站時，可以在月球上就地取材，直接利用月壤、太陽能、礦產等月面原位資源來蓋房子，無須再從地球上運輸預制建築構件。
這樣能極大降低月面建造的成本。這些模擬「月壤磚」在太空暴露實驗後，將為未來在月建設積累科研數據，從而最佳化實際方案。
These simulated bricks will be exposed to experiments in space to accumulate scientific data for building houses on the moon in the future, so as to optimize the actual scheme.
編輯：左卓
實習生：楊雅琳
來源：新華社 央視新聞 環球時報
